When they arrived at the sect proper, the diffuse daylight of the mists had dimmed considerably. The entrance to the sect was a large circular gate set into a high stone wall. Slate shingles lined the top, and formation characters decorated the gate itself. There was no guard, no way of telling if anyone stood inside, and no indication of what to do.
The token Zhang Lifen had given him brought him this far, so he pulled it from his pack and held it before him. A gong sounded from within the sect, and the gate silently opened. Zhang Lifen stood inside, hands folded at her waist.
“You’ve made it,” she said. “Fine work in the mists. I’d half expected you to leave her, but I’m glad you didn’t. You cut your arrival rather close, however. Had you come a day later, your entry would have been denied.”
Chen Fei pressed her fist into her palm. “Senior Sister…”
“Zhang Lifen.”
“Senior Sister Zhang is most kind,” she finished.
“Well, we’re here,” He Yu said.
Chen Fei cast a wide-eyed glance in his direction. He Yu thought he saw a slight quirk at the corner of Zhang Lifen’s lips.
“You will follow Junior Sister Chen’s example, and refer to me as Senior Sister Zhang. At least until such time as you become a core disciple yourself. Then you may simply call me Sect Sister, as we would be peers. The other ranked disciples aren’t as lax as I am, Junior Brother He.”
He Yu swallowed and saluted her. “Senior Sister Zhang is most kind,” he said. Zhang Lifen had seemed to respond favorably when Chen Fei had said it, so it seemed a good option until he learned the specifics of how he was supposed to address disciples of a higher rank.
“Good,” Zhang Lifen said. “Now that the formalities are out of the way, I can instruct you both on the things you’ve missed. Follow me.”
Although he wanted nothing more than to sit and rest his weary legs, He Yu forced himself to motion. At the very least he had the excitement of finally reaching the sect to keep him going.
“You’ve each passed your first test by arriving before the cut-off. You’ll have to do better in the future, though. The next culling of disciples is in six months. If you have not reached the Second Realm—the Foundation stage—by then, you will be expelled from the sect. From the time you reach the Foundation stage, you have one year to advance to Body Refining. If you fail to accomplish this, you will be expelled from the sect.”
Chen Fei opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again.
Without turning around, Zhang Lifen said, “Yes, that means you have one year from today, Junior Sister Chen. Make good use of it.”
He Yu grimaced—Chen Fei was already at Foundation. There probably wouldn’t be very many disciples at such a low stage of advancement as he was. Which only meant he would have to work that much harder if he wanted to remain at the sect.
Zhang Lifen flicked her sleeve towards a low building off the path to their right. “The assignment hall for the outer sect,” she said, still not turning as they continued to walk. “There you will receive your stipend of two low-grade spirit stones per week. Use them to cultivate, or purchase resources from the market as you see fit. There is also a job board for the outer disciples. You should focus mainly on cultivation, but you will need to earn sect contribution points to purchase tutoring from inner sect disciples, manuals from the outer sect library, or resources not easily available at the outer sect market. It is best to begin accruing sect points early.”
He Yu took mental notes of all she had said. The stories all said that cultivators valued spirit stones for their ability to aid in cultivation, but he’d never heard of them being used as currency. Given that they were “low-grade,” the stones likely wouldn’t be worth much. He would also have to check the job board when he had the chance. Zhang Lifen’s suggestion of stockpiling sect points wasn’t one he would ignore. The stories all agreed that it took a tremendous amount of effort and resources to advance the further one progressed along their Way.
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Past the assignment hall, Zhang Lifen gestured towards a path sloping down and behind a small grove of trees. “Beyond lies the outer sect market. The majority of your advancement needs can be purchased there for spirit stones.” Indicating the opposite side of the path, she said, “That way lies the manual pavilion. Any purchases from the pavilion must be made with sect points. The arts and techniques therein will form the foundation of your Way.”
Then, she stopped in the path and turned to face He Yu and Chen Fei. “Speaking of,” she said. “Junior Brother He, I trust you’ve brought the manual containing the cultivation technique you were using when I found you?”
He Yu nodded.
“Show it to me.”
He quickly unshouldered his pack and dug out the bamboo scroll that served as his Qi Gathering manual. Until several moments ago, it had been one of his prized possessions. Now that he was here at the Shrouded Peaks Sect, he didn’t think it amounted to all that much.
Zhang Lifen glanced over the manual before rolling it back up and returning it to him. “This could serve you through the Foundation stage, if necessary. However, I would recommend you learn a new cultivation technique unless you have a better one lying around. Every disciple can request a copy of the Shrouded Peaks Sect’s cultivation technique at the manual pavilion. Not only will it serve you much better than your current one, but it will also prepare you to learn both the White Mountain Soul Art and the White Mountain Body Art.
“Tomorrow morning, you will report to the training field for physical instruction with Sect Brother Ren Huang. In the afternoon, you will attend a cultivation lecture held by Sect Elder Wen Xi. This is a rare opportunity for you both. Elder Wen has only recently emerged from seclusion—specifically to teach this year’s disciples. He is a master of spiritual cultivation, and the insights you will gain from his instruction are an advantage few others can claim.”
He Yu could barely contain his excitement. Back in Shulin, he’d dreamed of studying under Dong Wei. That dream had lost its shine once he’d gotten a taste of the difference between the “master” and Zhang Lifen. Now he would receive instruction from someone Zhang Lifen considered a master. During his weeks on the road, He Yu had allowed his imagination to run wild with all the possibilities that would lay before him at the sect. For the first time since childhood, when the stories of cultivators had captured him, He Yu wondered if perhaps he had set his sights too low.
“Junior Brother He.” Zhang Lifen’s sharp words brought him back to the present. She stood before him, a jade badge in her hand. “Welcome back,” she said, once he’d returned his attention to her. “This is the key to your residence. The men’s living area is down that path. You may collect your stipend for this week any time before sundown tomorrow.”
He Yu took the key and gave Zhang Lifen a salute. “Thank you, Senior Sister,” he said. When he rose, he noticed Chen Fei was gone. “Excuse me, but where did Chen Fei go?” he asked. The fact that she’d left without saying anything stung him a bit, to his surprise.
“I sent her on her way,” Zhang Lifen said. “While she has her own challenges to overcome if she is to make anything of herself, they are quite different than yours. More difficult in a way, I think.”
“My challenges?” he asked, although he had a feeling he knew what she meant.
Zhang Lifen nodded. “You have the lowest cultivation on the mountain,” she said, making no effort to soften her words.
A stab of shame stuck into his gut. The embarrassment of both his victory and defeat in the tournament at Shulin returned, too. A part of him had known this would be the truth of things, but it hurt to hear. He’d been avoiding thinking about it the entire time he was on the road, instead focusing on all the stories and legends that had fueled his desire to cultivate in the first place. But now that he was here, Zhang Lifen had forced his eyes open.
“You are barely awakened—merely a step into the First Realm,” she said. “Sect Brother Ren’s training would have been difficult regardless, but all the more so for you. The weakness of your body will add an extra burden and one you can ill afford. The physical cultivation technique you demonstrated during your tournament fights was rudimentary and poorly formed. The sect cultivation technique will provide useful insights and allow you to improve it, but that technique will only take you so far. You must endure until you can learn the White Mountain Body Art.”
“When can I learn that?” he asked, lifting his chin a bit. The message he’d taken away from Zhang Lifen’s words was simply that the path ahead wasn’t impossible.
“Neither the White Mountain Body Art nor the Soul Art are suitable for the Qi Gathering stage. You’ll need to break through to the Foundation stage before you can begin cultivating either of them.”
“Six months is too long.” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
Zhang Lifen gave him a quick, small smile. “The sect cultivation technique will provide a substantial boost to your cultivation. Especially compared to the technique you’ve been using so far.”
“This disciple thanks Senior Sister Zhang for her instruction,” He Yu said, pressing a fist to his palm and giving her a bow. While he was tempted to say that she had given him far more than she knew, he suspected that couldn’t be further from the truth. She had clearly sent Chen Fei away so that she could have this very conversation with him.
“Go,” she said, flicking the sleeve of her gown towards the manual pavilion. “There is a little time yet to gather your manual and your stipend. You’ve a lot of catching up to do, He Yu.”
Without another word, she turned and left him alone in the path.